Embodiments are described herein that relate to devices and methods for anchoring a medical device such as a prosthetic heart valve replacement.
Some known devices for anchoring a medical device, such as, for example, a prosthetic heart valve (e.g. mitral valve) can include securing one or more tethers extending from the medical device to body tissue. For example, one or more tethers can extend from a prosthetic heart valve through an opening in the ventricular wall of the heart. Some known methods of anchoring or securing the tethers can include the use of staples or other fasteners that engage or pierce tissue near the puncture site. Such devices can have relatively large profiles and be difficult to easily deliver percutaneously to the desired anchoring site. Some known methods of securing a prosthetic heart valve can include suturing the tethers extending from the valve to body tissue, or tying the suture ends. Such devices and methods can be difficult to maneuver to secure the tether(s) with a desired tension,
Further, when an opening is made directly into the ventricular wall or apex of a heart, such as when a prosthetic valve is percutaneously delivered and deployed, in addition to securing the prosthetic valve in a proper position, the efficacy of sealing the puncture site is critical to the life of the patient since hemodynamic losses from a cardiac puncture can cause shock and death within minutes. Further, the outward pressure that the puncture site is subjected to when it is located in the heart muscle itself is much higher than puncture sites that are distal to the heart. Accordingly, improved devices and methods for securing a prosthetic heart valve and for engaging and closing tissue, e.g., to close a cardiac puncture site, would be considered useful to solve these and other problems known in the art.